


A Very Merry Christmas

by betweenheroesandvillains



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: M/M, because they just deserve to be happy, it's chrismas and everyone's JUST DAMN HAPPY OKAY
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-26
Updated: 2014-12-26
Packaged: 2018-03-03 17:47:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2859551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/betweenheroesandvillains/pseuds/betweenheroesandvillains
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Christmas, and Bag End is filled with merry laughter and happiness. Never before had Bilbo seen so many cheerful faces, and never before had he himself felt this content. This was what home truly felt like.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Very Merry Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, I am deeply in denial. Just let me imagine it ended like that, okay? No dead, just happiness everywhere.
> 
> And yes, I'm a little into acorns now. It barely shows...
> 
> All mistakes are mine. Sorry.

Bag End had not been this crowded and noisy in years, and Bibo was sure he had never seen his home this happy, not even when his mother had still been alive. Twelve dwarves and about as many elves made it cozy, and even Thranduil was chatting, something Bilbo had not believed to be possible. Obviously, eggnog did the thing. Tauriel and Legolas were sipping it, too, talking and singing almost every song the Elvish harpist played. Kili and Fili were examining their Christmas jumpers, looking rather amused, and Balin was telling stories to everyone who wanted to listen.  
Only one was amiss, and as soon as he noticed it, Bilbo frowned. Thorin wasn’t usually late, but he had already missed tea, and by now Biblo started worrying. To keep his mind from wandering, because he knew he would spoil Christmas for everyone as soon as he started thinking about the things that might have happened, he walked over to help Bombur in the kitchen, only to be shooed out again by their chief. He ended up sitting uncomfortably close to Gandalf on the couch, staring at his own hands and hoping for the best. The Shire was not exactly what you’d call a dangerous place, but at a night as snowy and cold as this one, a broken leg due to some misfortune could... “My dear Biblo, why do you look so troubled?” Gandalf’s voice was soft and curious, and a smile made the skin around his eyes crinkle. Bilbo, who was actually ashamed that someone had noticed it, shrugged quietly. But Gandalf only took a sip of wine before he went on, “It is Christmas, after all, and you are the host of this magnificent party. People are enjoying themselves, so why aren’t you?” A long silence stretched between them, which could have been uncomfortable if there had not been so much noise around them. Then, Bilbo sighed, ruffling his blond locks awkwardly. “I’m just... It’s a little stupid, you know? I mean, Thorin is capable of looking after himself, I do not doubt that, but he isn’t here where he should be... What if something happened to him, Gandalf?” He had said that quite quickly, yet luckily enough the other man could still grasp the most important facts.  
A loud laughter made everyone in the room turn their heads and stare at them for a few seconds, before they started singing and talking again. “My dear Master Baggins,” he said chuckling, “your worry honours you, but Thorin Oakenshield can usually care for himself. And,” he bowed down so he could look directly into the Hobbit’s eyes, “Judging from what I know, he would not miss this, not even with an army of orcs between him and here.” Bilbo tried to deny anything, but everything he said was swallowed by a light, silvery laugh, then two of them, and even a third one joined that eventually. Bilbo and Gandalf both looked over to Thranduil and his son, who were the origin of that strangely beautiful sound, as well as the chuckling Tauriel. “It seems Elves are not immune to eggnog,” Nori grinned, and all of the dwarves snorted in unison. Only a few minutes later, Kili and Fili decided that it did not feel festive enough without them playing their violins, and the room was filled with dancing people astonishingly fast. It was that loud that they almost missed the silent knocking at the front door. But Bilbo had expected it, so he first felt his heart skip a beat and then stormed over to the front door, opening it way faster than it was normal, or appropriate.  
Yet it was definitely worth it, because never in his life, not once, had Bilbo Baggins seen someone who looked as hot or cute or... well, he had never seen someone look as perfect as Thorin Oakenshield did in that moment. Snowflakes were tangled in his dark hair and powdered his fur coat, the tip of his nose and his cheeks were red from the cold, and he wore the widest smile on his lips the Hobbit had ever seen. “Hello, Master Burglar.” And that was everything Bilbo needed to let out a cry of joy and throw himself into the open arms of his lover. “What took you so long,” he whispered into Thorin’s hair while wrapping himself around him. He felt Thorin’s deep, soft chuckle rather than that he heard it. “I am sorry, dear. I lost my way. Two times, I think, or three. I’ll never learn it, I fear.” He planted a quick kiss to Bilbo’s lips before murmuring, “I can’t enter if you don’t let go, dear.” His Hobbit had never let go of him this quickly.  
“Do I really have to?”  
Everyone within hearing range just shouted a simple “YES,” the rest kept spinning around to the music, or sang, or ate the rests of plumpudding. With a fatalistic sigh, Thorin gave in and put on the blue Christmas jumper Bilbo had handed him.  
“Uncle,” Kili shouted over the noise, a wide, mischievous grin on his face, “you look about as beautiful as the two of us here!” The two younger dwarves snickered when they saw Thorin blush slightly, yet none of the others saw it. Bilbo instinctively pressed another kiss to Thorin’s cheek and leaned against the dwarf’s arm. For the first time in hours he could relax, and he did, a cup of tea on his right knee, the warmth of Thorin Oakenshield against his side. He watched the dwarves talk and play a game with dices which he did not understand, but obviously Thorin did, because he commented on it in the language of his ancestors. Bifur, Bofur and Bombur took care of the dishes, making some room on the table for another large bowl of eggnog, some more wine and an incredible amount of almond biscuits, gingerbread and chocolate. Gandalf lit a few of his amazing candles that burned red and green, and one of them even seemed to have a flame in the form of a Christmas tree. Bilbo meanwhile was about to occupy his dwarf’s lap, leaning against his chest rather than his shoulder, having put an almost unreasonable amount of eggnog in the rest of his tea. Thorin, meanwhile, had an overly polite conversation with Thranduil which Bilbo did not pay any attention. He rather enjoyed the view of Fili braiding his brother’s hair, or Dori knit one of his well renowned scarves. It was just so peaceful, having all his friends unharmed, spending time with them just or their amusement. It was rare, and precious, and Bilbo knew that and enjoyed it twice as much.  
Time flew by, inevitably, and Legolas was the first one to get up with a weak apology, and one by one, the rest follows, and not once in his life as Bilbo Baggins heard this amount of badly told lies, or half-hearted reasoning. A wide smile crossed his face when he watched them leave in the different directions. Some went outside, some to their bags in the most secret corners they found. After a few minutes he got up himself, not even trying to murmur an excuse before walking to his bedroom, maybe a little faster than usually.  
They returned in little groups, all slightly jittery, all with wide smiles on their lips, desperately trying to hide their presents from the others. Some time later, they all were gathered in the livingroom again. At first they were all standing around awkwardly, insecure how to start, until Thranduil thankfully passed a present over to Kili, which turned out to be a beautiful elvish bow. After that it was a lot easier. Everyone just exchanged presents, and “thank you”s and “wow”s and “that’s beautiful”s were filling the room. Bilbo got warm mittens from Dori, a beautifully carved stool from Fili, Kili and Nori, a cloak from the Elves and some quills from Gandalf, yet as the gentle-hobbit he was he did not ask what the rest of them got, though he saw Fili getting a new violin and Nori handing Balin a self-knitted quilt.  
After the gift giving, little groups gather once more, now a little more mixed than before. Legolas and Tauriel had ended up under a mistletoe, staring at each other instead of just kissing, while Thranduil eyed them suspiciously. Everyone was settled, and that was when Bilbo tugged at Thorin’s sleeve. The dwarf looked down at him with soft blue eyes, raising an eyebrow. Bilbo simply stood up rather than answering the silent question that lingered in Thorin’s look, walking out of the crowded room, only to wait for his lover in the hall.  
“So?” The way Thorin voiced that one word made Bilbo smile slightly, the dwarf seemed to be utterly confused. “I...,” Bilbo started, “I haven’t given your present to you yet...” Thorin’s expression softened even further. “Nor have I given you yours.” All Bilbo could hope for was that his heart would find its normal rhythm again, because at that moment it surely did not serve him well. The Hobbit produced a little box from his pocket and passed it over to Thorin, who, in return, gave him one about the same size. “You first,” is all the dwarf murmured, examining the present in his fingers closely before looking at Bilbo again. The little Hobbit opened it with shaking fingers and took a deep breath when he saw what was in there. Then a wide smile appeared on his face, that turned into a chuckle, then a laughter, and he did not remember being this happy, laughing this freely, ever before. “What is it? Why...,” Thorin asked anxiously, but Bilbo just whispered, “Open mine, you’ll understand.” He looked at the acorn in his hand, knowing he had never gotten a gift like that. When he heard paper ripping he looked up again, just in time to see Thorin’s face light up. “It’s... I got it gold-plated, so...” Then he felt strong arms wrapping him up and lips pressing to his forehead. “Oh Master Burglar.” Thorin’s voice was husky, tears glitter in his eyes. “You cannot know what that means to me.” Letting go of the smaller Hobbit, Thorin put on the necklace, marvelling at the golden acorn. “It’s exactly the one I showed you, you remember...” Thorin’s smile was so sweet it made Bilbo shut up. “I remember,” the dwarf said, “I remember very well. That was the moment I knew I was in love with you.” Bilbo’s jaw dropped and his heart skipped a few beats, again. Thorin did not often say the word “love”, maybe he was too shy, or too proud, or maybe that was just something dwarves did not do, Bilbo did not know. It didn’t matter. The next thing he remembered was kissing Thorin with a furious desire, threading his fingers through the long hair. It was the only way he could show Thorin Oakenshield how much he loved him. When they parted again both of them were out of breath, and they just stood there for some time, forehead pressed to forehead, the tips of their noses touching, and looking into each other’s eyes. Bilbo pressed the small acorn against his chest when he looked up at Thorin. “Will you stay here? Please?” Thorin cupped Bilbo’s hands and let his thumb run across them. “That is why I gave you the acorn. So we could plant it together, and watch it grow into an oak tree together. I love you.”  
“I love you, too.”  
They stood like that for a long time, hugging and holding on to each other. Nobody came to look after them, and when they returned to the livingroom they saw that everyone was singing an old Christmas song, and no-one that was there remembered having been happier before.


End file.
